In This Podcast:

Jim Johnson, an experienced trade school and community college instructor, discusses the HVAC industry and his column in The NEWS, ‘The Service Ticket.’ Listen now for a hint to the Not Enough Heat question from the Dec. 15 issue.

Q: Can you share a little bit about your HVACR background?

A: We operate an independent training firm, Technical Training Associates, based near Tucson, Arizona, and we offer training for technicians in a lot of different areas. We also produce and develop a series of training videos for HVAC technicians that allow them to get a grip on how to service equipment, troubleshoot, make repairs, and do things effectively so things work like they’re supposed to. My father was in the business and, in the mid-1960s, he worked for a large distributor that sold refrigerators and things like that. In those days, companies didn’t mind if techs moonlighted. That allowed me to run service calls with my dad as a kid, and, once I got through some electrical training, getting into HVAC was just natural.

Q: What is ‘The Service Ticket’ column, and where did the idea come from?

A: This is an opportunity for people who work in the HVAC industry — maybe they’re working their way up through college or trade school — to learn more about or review their understanding of troubleshooting equipment. … Troubleshooting can be accomplished by systematically eliminating the possibilities when solving a problem with a piece of equipment. [This was born] As a result of experiences I had in the field, working with students and new techs who struggle with learning how to evaluate a situation and come to a definite conclusion about which specific component is responsible for the breakdown.

Q: Can you give us a hint to the ‘Not Enough Heat’ question from the Dec. 15 issue?

A: It’s a two-part answer. I’ll offer a hint to the first part of the answer. From a fundamental perspective of the operation of an electrical system — remember two simple facts about a switch that’s wired in series with loaded controls: No voltage will be read across a closed switch, and voltage will be read across an open switch as long as the load itself isn’t open.

Jim Johnson
Owner, Technical Training Associates 
Green Valley, Arizona

Click HERE to listen to the remainder of the podcast.

Publication date: 3/2/2015

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